Admissions Readiness

Admissions Readiness

Admissions readiness seeks to ensure that all Amarillo I.S.D. students are prepared to enter the postsecondary training or career of their choice. To support all students to succeed in college entrance exams, we administer the PSAT 8/9 to all eight grade students, the PSAT/NMSQT to all high school sophomores and juniors and the SAT to all high school juniors provide other test preparation opportunities.

Each high school in Amarillo I.S.D. has a College and Career Resource Center, staffed by a college and career clerk to assist all students in their college and career questions and application process that connects students to college, career, and military access. We are proud that 100% of Amarillo I.S.D. students apply to postsecondary institutions or enlist in the military.

Students can increase their admissions readiness by doing the following:

Maintain a high grade point average (G.P.A.) and class rank

Take the Pre-S.A.T. (P.S.A.T.) seriously and use My College QuickStart and Khan Academy to help prepare for the S.A.T. and American College Testing (A.C.T.) test

Easy Steps For Applying To A University Or College

Complete and submit the college application including essays. The topics for both ApplyTexas and The Common App are similar and rely on your ability to coherently describe how you would handle a specific situation or how you can articulate your strengths and weaknesses. ApplyTexas is for state colleges and some private institutions. The Common Application is used for many in and out of state private colleges. Some small private colleges still use their own online applications. Check with the individual college’s website if they are not on ApplyTexas or The Common Application!

Pay the application fee or submit a fee waiver (see your counselor for qualification). There is usually a way to do this in the online application. Most community colleges, such as AC, do not charge an application fee.

Send SAT or ACT official scores to the colleges in which you are applying. Always send ALL SCORES, even if you plan to take a test again in the future. Send them what you have now. If you haven’t taken one of the exams yet, the college you are applying to cannot consider your application until you have at least one set of scores from one of the tests. An exception to this are community colleges which use your EOC scores for admission/placement.

Test Preparation

Amarillo I.S.D. does not officially endorse any test preparation provider other than Khan Academy, which is a free service through College Board. Some companies listed below charge fees and are provided for information resources only:

Student-Athletes

In addition to academic preparation, the information and links below can assist student-athletes with navigating the student-athlete experience at universities and colleges.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (N.C.A.A.) (Opens in new window) was founded more than one hundred years ago as a way to protect student-athletes. The N.C.A.A. continues to implement that principle with increased emphasis on both athletics and academic excellence. The N.C.A.A. is made up of three membership classifications that are known as Divisions 1, 2 and 3. Each division creates its own rules governing personnel, amateurism, recruiting, eligibility, benefits, financial aid, and playing and practice seasons – consistent with the overall governing principles of the Association. Every program must affiliate its core program with one of the three divisions.

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (N.A.I.A.) (Opens in new window) balances a dedication to leadership development is balanced with sports accomplishment. A trailblazer in providing equal opportunity for all student-athletes. An expectation of ethical behavior, fairness in competition, access to athletic scholarship, sportsmanship and leadership development. At the core of all of this — character. N.A.I.A. is typically used with smaller, independent colleges and universities.